Settle insurance claims of farmers hit by floods in Thoothukudi soon: Nirmala Sitharaman

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reviews flood-affected Thoothukudi district, directs speedy settlement of claims for 2.50 lakh farmers.

Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman has instructed insurance companies and the district administration to complete the crop-cutting exercise at the earliest to settle the claims of farmers affected by the floods in Thoothukudi district.

The Union Minister, after inspecting flood-affected villages in the district on Tuesday, held a review meeting in which she instructed that insurance companies undertake speedy processing of settlement of claims for 2.50 lakh farmers for crops on nearly 1.38 lakh hectares covered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

Ms. Sitharaman further directed representatives of the insurance companies to organise special camps, in collaboration with the district administration, in the coming days for faster settlement of claims.

After hearing the problems of several people in Korampallam, Maravanmadam, Murapanadu and Manathi, whose homes had been damaged or washed away in the rain, she directed officials of the district administration to utilise the funds under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) to rebuild homes for eligible women and devise ways to reconstruct the homes of those who are not covered under the scheme.

Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan, State Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi, and Commissioner of Revenue Administration S.K. Prabhakar, were present in the review meet.